Kassius, a leading French agency, joins the Wunderman network

1 July, 2008

Paris — Wunderman, a member of the WPP family, strengthens its position as France’s pre-eminent marketing services network with the acquisition of a majority stake in Kassius, a premier digital agency, with a specialty in mobile communications. Paris-based Kassius is acknowledged as one of the leaders of the younger generation of companies skilled in new media and the broad spectrum of consumer experience.

“Together, Wunderman, the global leader in direct, and Kassius, France’s leader in mobile and new media, offer our clients and network members insight, energy and vision into the possibilities of digital conversations wherever they occur,” said Daniel Morel, chairman and CEO, Wunderman. “One of the reasons Kassius joined the Wunderman network is that Florian Lang and his partners understand that digital communication translates to direct, personal messages that can be measured, analyzed and monetized. Joining forces with Wunderman, market leader for 50 years in this area, gives Kassius access to the broadest range of metrics, analytics and optimization resources,” he said.

Founded in 2000 by Florian Lang and his partners, Kassius has grown rapidly to its current eminence, with a raft of top talent serving an impressive portfolio of more than 40 blue-chip French and international clients including La Poste, Neuf Telecom, La Francaise des Jeux and Coca-Cola. Kassius will continue to operate as a stand-alone entity within the Wunderman network.

Lang said: “Kassius has a major position in the French interactive and mobile market, and we were looking for a strong partnership to strengthen our international expansion and to provide our clients with full creative and business oriented solutions. The choice of Wunderman/WPP is to have chosen excellence, with a common ambition to create a powerful and efficient team fulfilling all the interactive goals of our clients. This step is a new start for us: a wonderful opportunity to ignite a deeper digital interactive experience, business oriented and fully creative.”

Kassius offers a vast range of online and offline marketing services and is particularly strong in the digital and mobile areas – it set up a dedicated mobile division in 2004.

The agency is committed to offering solutions that combine creative flair and effectiveness. It calls its vision “The Close Contact Way” to emphasize its determination to give brands impact plus the “wow factor”. This philosophy, in addition to attracting clients, has also resulted in a number of awards including the Effie Grand Prix in 2006.

For Frederic Torloting and Jacques Bungert, Presidents of Young & Rubicam Brands in France, and Frederic Goubet, President of Wunderman France, the deal with Kassius “reinforces the dynamic of our French Group, with leadership in each of the sectors we work in, and integrating a set of people who have the ability and desire to work closely together.”

Goubet added: “Kassius understands that today’s consumer sophistication requires marketers to have a keen ear for what consumers are saying, a sharp eye for creativity and the ability to connect in a relevant manner in a relevant channel.”

About WundermanWunderman creates impactful conversations between our clients and their customers. For 50 years, listening has been at the core of every campaign and vital to success. We believe strong, lifelong, profitable customer conversations result from getting the right people talking, in the right way, at the right time. We constantly look for deep customer insights and new and better ways to create these conversations.

Our global network spans more than 15 companies across 130+ offices in 55 countries. We have an enviable roster of blue chip clients and expertise across every channel and discipline. Last year, Advertising Age ranked Wunderman the #1 marketing services network in the world. In the U.S and around the world, Wunderman consistently ranks in the Top 10 Direct and Digital agency lists. The Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival recognized our work with the Direct Grand Prix two years in a row and Forrester Research acknowledges the depth of our capabilities. Wunderman, part of Young & Rubicam Brands, is a member of WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY).